Monday, March 3, 2014

Ukraine

The last few months have been really strange for me. I've been watching the events in Ukraine unfold. I've been watching with anxiety and fear and sadness and some excitement. I've been full of conflicting emotions and real concerns.

There's a very special place in my heart for Ukraine. It's right next to the spot I carved out for Paul Simon and cheesecake. I was a church missionary for two years in Ukraine, from the summer of 2003 to the summer of 2005. I've been fortunate enough to stay close to my friends there over the years and have been able to visit Ukraine half a dozen times since 2009, the year I moved back to Eastern Europe to work in Moscow for a short while. Most recently, Daniel and I visited western Ukraine in 2012, right before leaving for Palau.

Those people are probably still talking about how much borsch that kid ate.
I'm not really as happy anywhere else as I am in Eastern Europe. As bizarre as that place sometimes can be, it feels more home to me than anywhere else. Maybe the bizarre is why it feels like home to me.

In Ukraine I experienced things that I'll cherish for the rest of my life. I also experienced and witnessed the most traumatic events I'll probably ever know. I made great friends, saw culture at its purest, underwent major surgery, was beat up in the street twice, saw someone tragically die, witnessed severe child abuse, and experienced things that still make me wake up in a sweat a few times a month.

To me, Ukraine isn't just a news blurb. It's real. And it's ugly. And beautiful. And tragic. And, well, home.

I love that place. It has become such a huge part of who I am and has so significantly shaped the way I see the world and compassion and fear.

I've had a very unique opportunity to witness some of the most significant parts of Ukraine's recent history from the front lines and from multiple perspectives. While living in western Ukraine in 2004 to 2005, I got a front row seat to the Orange Revolution, a very large but non-violent protest that was spurred after one terrible man was fraudulently elected president. His name was Victor Yanukovych. After months of hundreds of thousands of citizens camping out on the streets and demanding action, the election was nullified and votes were recast. A different man was elected.

It was electrifying and exciting. I've never seen more passion in the political process.

But in 2010 that same man--the really awful, terrible one--was elected president again. And this time there wasn't an Orange Revolution, so he actually took office. And he was, well, really awful and terrible.

A few months ago this awful and terrible president declined a deal that would have led to closer ties to the EU, opting instead for closer ties to Russia. Western-leaning Ukrainians thought this was absolutely nonsensical and they were sure that some very sketchy pocket-padding probably motivated this absurd decision. And the people took to the streets to peacefully protest.

This terrible and awful president, taking a page out of the book of the terrible and awful president from Russia, responded negatively to these protests, essentially making their acts "illegal" and threatening prosecution.

But Ukraine isn't Russia. No offense to the Russians, who are dealing with a level of oppression I've never had to face myself. The protesters didn't go home for fear of being stomped on. They stood their ground and fought harder for what they believed in. And this terrible awful president, who apparently doesn't have a memory good enough to go back to 2005, only fanned the flames. The people FREAKED THE HELL OUT.

And last month they turned this beautiful place in Kyiv:

Into this:

This was after that terrible awful president sent some armed folks in to put an end to the protesting. Internal war broke out. And things did not go in his favor.

Ultimately, the terrible awful president was kicked out of office and he immediately fled. And just like the end of The Wizard of Oz, the people put down their weapons and celebrated the death of the wicked witch. And they began uncovering the absolutely disgusting evidence of this terrible awful president's corruption, which was so much greater than they even imagined.

To respond, a very angry president from Russia decided to start flexing his muscles. And his Russian troops began to invade Ukraine. Tens of thousands of them, their presence threatening to do the job that the terrible awful president, whom that terrible awful Russian president supports, failed to do.

And that's where we are now.

And that's why my heart is anxious and worried. I can sense the extreme desperation in the words of my friends over there. My dear wonderful friends, for whom liberty and freedom don't feel very finite right now.

I write this today because it feels like I should. I feel like there's not much I can do but raise awareness. And inasmuch as the world benefits when we point a finger at evil, that's what I want to do here.

It can be hard sometimes to feel like problems that are thousands of miles away are actually important. But if you think about it, an incursion on freedom is an attack on us all. Because it necessarily always stands as a declaration that a person can and should be controlled. And it's our obligation, wherever we are, to send a message, however we can, that we are watching what is happening and we are willing to do something to stop it.

There's this quote I love and one that has always made me think of Ukraine since I read it in 2010. It's from an old United States Supreme Court case that talked about freedom of speech. "Those who won our independence . . . valued liberty both as an end and as a means. They believed liberty to the secret of happiness and courage to be the secret of liberty." Whitney v. California, 274 U.S. 357 (1927).

THANK YOU for that simple explanation of what is going on. I obviously have heard about what is going on but not in detail and I haven't had time to look it up and try to understand... Your explanation gave me exactly the info I needed so I wasn't so out of the loop :) I'm so sorry your beloved Ukraine is having to deal with this :(

I agree - thank you for the beautiful, simple explanation. It is so easy to just brush past events in other countries when we don't have a personal connection to them. You have changed me today, Eli - I cried for Ukraine and I cried for our missionaries that are serving there and I cried for the Ukrainian people.

The comparison pictures made me gasp; a coworker wanted to know what was wrong. What a truly terrifying thing, and I'm glad to hear this more personal side of it as opposed to the sterilized "this happened and then this happened" that we usually hear.

You should check out this link: http://universe.byu.edu/2014/02/28/ukrainian-revolution-as-explained-by-the-hunger-games/ . It's by Stephanie Lacy, she served in Ukraine too, and it provides another great explanation for what has been happening in Ukraine.

Thank you for this post, Eli. Even though I was a political science major and try to keep myself informed of what's happening in the world, I'm embarrassed to admit I knew shockingly little about what was really happening in Ukraine. I'll be praying for the people there and hoping that they have peace soon.

What can we do? What can the US do? We are in the terrible, unfortunate, and sadly FORESEEABLE position of weakness. Our US foreign policy is a mess with no leadership or foresight, or ability to move, it seems. I have heard it said that "our friends no longer trust us and our enemies no longer fear us." I do, however see some possible actions. I like two of those actions described by Bill O'Rilley... in the following clip: http://video.foxnews.com/v/3287526765001/how-to-handle-putin/#sp=show-clips

I was listening to the radio this morning and heard that Obama has proclaimed some huge amount in supporting the Ukraine people as Russia begins to move in. I can already hear the opposition of "we need to mind our own business", "here we go, Obama increasing our national debt to go bail someone else out", etc. I can't help but think of this quote by President Hinkley at the conference right after 9/11: "We are people of peace. We are followers of the Christ who was and is the Prince of Peace. But there are times when we must stand up for right and decency, for freedom and civilization, just as Moroni rallied his people in his day to the defense of their wives, their children, and the cause of liberty (see Alma 48:10)."I took from his talk that we as a people who were so blessed to be in a land where we enjoy religious freedom, not to mention all the other freedoms we enjoy, have a duty to help provide ALL of God's children with those same rights.

I have a friend's son that just got called to Ukraine, I hope things improve quickly!!

This post gave me something to think about. I knew very little about the situation in Ukraine, but a friend was talking to me about it the other day. We were discussing the possibility of the U.S. fighting in the Ukraine and how we didn't think that we should start another war. Reading this post I changed my mind to an extent. I am still wary about the U.S. going to war, but I realized that not wanting to go to war to help a struggling country is rather hypocritical of me. I'm the kind of person that makes friends with hard to like people and sticks by them even when people point out there obvious flaws I choose to stand by them because someone needs to. I realized while reading this that when I was talking to my friend I was thinking the U.S. needs to stay out of things the U.S. doesn't have to fix everyone else's problems we have our own. And that is a kind of thinking I dislike, everyone always has their own problems, that doesn't mean we shouldn't help others. Thank you for reminding me, I'll be keeping the people of Ukraine in my thoughts.

Eli, I hope you don't mind that I printed this off to share with my class. I teach a high school class where we talk about current events. This is such a good explanation (and a unique one) that I thought would be good for teenagers to read. Thank you so much for this.

I am so great full for this post to raise awareness I didn't really pay attention until my best friend who is in army special forces said if the US went to war he would be leaving in 30 days... I nearly lost it and now I am searching desperately for any news and totally disregarding my current class... Because it now means something to me I wish somehow everyone can feel these kinds of problems personally like this! Maybe then some one could find an answer!

It was a good thought and all, but being in a western Ukrainian city that was a few hundred miles away hardly counts as having a front row seat. I was a missionary on the edge of Kyiv (where it happened) at the time of the Orange Revolution, and I wouldn't really count it as a front row seat. Second or third row with a good view, maybe.

I was actually in Kyiv during part of the Orange Revolution. Walked through Maidan specifically and saw the protesters. Talked to a few of them. But anyone who thinks the Revolution was specific to Kyiv wasn't paying enough attention.

What's the point of this comment "Anonymous"? Other than you sounding jaded, I don't see the point. This post is not about Eli; it is about Ukraine, and the real struggles the people of that nation have been facing for years. You'd think someone who lived there would be more focused on the plight of that country.

Thanks so much for your kind words on this. I've been chatting with a fellow at work who was in the Crimean area on his mission just a couple of years ago. So interesting to talk to him and to see what is happening. And, like you, I can say "In Ukraine I experienced things that I'll cherish for the rest of my life. I also experienced and witnessed the most traumatic events I'll probably ever know." Diana and I will always have a soft spot in our hearts for the people and places in Western Ukraine. We pray things will go well in Ukraine and that people will be aware of the tense situation there and the fragile fight for freedom. I also very much like this editorial from a Harvard professor. https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/editorials/2014/03/04/ukraine-the-next-moves-chess-board/tw7mRrOJ0CciRvakE1T2JK/story.html

The protest stopped being about the EU only a week after it started; after those "living the high life" ordered their troops to clear the streets and beat the students leading the protest at 2am. They didn't want any opposition to their "normal or unusual" lifestyle. That's not disgusting at all...?

Couldn't agree more with your article. I have the same feelings about Ukraine and the people over there. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I got back from the Donetsk mission last July and am pretty shocked to see what Ukraine has become now. I really just hope that the members and missionaries there are safe. All we can do is just continue to pray and fast for the people and leaders.

Thanks for the wonderful explanation Eli. I also have been curious about what was going on in Ukraine, but hadn't looked very deeply into it besides the video that went viral a few weeks ago https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hvds2AIiWLA which definitely caught my attention. I found your photo comparison to be incredibly moving. I also love the quote you shared from the supreme court case. I saved it. Thank you for another great blog post!

This is a great, heartfelt post about the situation in Ukraine. Exactly 8 years ago, we were preparing to come home from Kharkiv with our newly adopted daughter, Nataliya Hope. We share similar feelings towards Ukraine, it's lovely culture, wonderful people, and most comforting of comfort food. It's very difficult for us as Americans, immersed as we are in a comparatively stable and untroubled political system, to understand the hows and whys of the sad and frightening developments there. You did a great job summarizing a complex, evolving situation. Thank you.

I have a close friend who is Ukrainian and she has family that still lives over in the Ukraine. Thankfully, they are still doing well for the time being, but it is a very tense time for her and her family. They are still able to communicate, but a phone call of assurance is different from face to face assurance. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you for this fantastic post.